New collaboration could help reduce chronic 911 and hospital system users [Video]

RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – The Rapid City Fire Department proposed at Wednesday’s Legal and Finance Committee meeting a collaboration between Monument Health and the Mobile Medic unit.

If approved this would be the biggest and most comprehensive agreement between Rapid City, the Fire Department, and Monument Health according to Fire Chief Jason Culberson.

Culberson said this collaboration will be an expansion of both Monument Health and RCFD’s existing community health worker programs with goals to take frequent users of the 911 and hospital systems and match them with appropriate medical or social care programs.

This isn’t a new program for Monument Health, but it’s a welcome addition to the fire department.

“They’ve been utilizing this program for a while and it was housed under a different entity and that entity is no longer able to help them and provide that service, so they approached us and we found it …